1. Technical Field
The present invention is generally directed to the field of instant messaging. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for correcting previously sent messages in a real-time messaging system.
2. Description of Related Art
Instant messaging has become an integral part of collaboration within engineering and business organizations. Within many businesses, instant messaging has become a mission-critical application, vital to quickly forming and coordinating task-oriented teams across geographical and organizational boundaries.
In discussions conducted over instant messaging systems (such as Lotus Sametime, AOL Instant Messenger, etc.) users tend to compose short messages, dispatch them immediately, then notice the spelling and grammatical errors, omissions, and other errors that they have typed. By the time these errors are noticed, the message has already been sent and displayed to one or more other parties, and it is too late to correct the original. Common practice is to send a new message clarifying the original, erroneous messages.
Furthermore, on the receiving side, the user of a computing device to which the instant message is sent may begin responding to a received instant message while the sender is trying to correct the mistake noticed after the sending of the message. Thus, a confusing series of instant messages may be passed between instant messaging parties because the receiving party is not aware that the sending party is attempting to correct his/her mistake in the previously sent message. Furthermore, any saved transcript of the instant messaging conversation would be confusing when read at a later time.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method that permits correction of a previously sent instant message as well as informing of the receiving party that such correction is taking place.